10 Exercises for Weight Loss at Home | Resistance Band Workout
What’s the best way to do exercises for weight loss at home?
There’s no magic answer of course, but if you want to get results fast, it’s important to work smart.
Here I don’t plan to get into a deep analysis of the different ways to lose weight. For that you can check out my article on how to lose weight through the power of habit.
In this post I want get straight to the point and show you a weight loss exercise routine which is convenient to do at home or wherever you happen to be. The most important thing is: it really works.
So let’s begin:
How to do exercises for weight loss at home
The key thing you need to know about effective weight loss is that the exercises need to be big calorie burners.
If the workout doesn’t make you sweat, it’s not going to help you burn up your fat stores. Like with anything worth achieving, there’s no getting away from the hard work.
The exercises in this workout are all compound strength exercises using movements that recruit several large muscle groups to work together. Done properly, these exercises will get your heart pumping and leave you out of breath.
This is the key to burning a large amount of calories – do high intensity exercises that fire up your cardio system and leave you short of oxygen. This will force your body to burn up your fat reserves as you do the exercises and, through something called the EPOC Effect, for long after you’ve finished your workout.
Of course these kind of exercise are not safe for everyone, for example those with a heart condition, so always check with your doctor if unsure.
What you need for this at home weight-loss workout:
Heavy compound exercises traditionally are best done using an Olympic barbell and weights. But these are not always convenient to use at home, so I recommend using a resistance band, which is just as effective as using weights.
Pull up bands (pictured) are the best for doing at-home weight loss exercises because of the versatile way in which they can be used to do compound strength movements. They are available in 5 resistance levels from light to xx-heavy.
Here’s how to use resistance bands for weight loss at home
This at-home weight loss workout contains 10 exercises that will target every muscle in your body.
The best way to do the workout is to perform all the exercises in the order they are shown, 10-15 reps per set and as little rest as possible in between. Doing 2 or 3 circuits twice a week will be very effective for weight loss, as long as you also decrease the amount of calories you consume and increase other physical activities, like walking, in your daily life.
1. Squat
Hold one end of the resistance loop in front of you at shoulder height and step on the other end, inside the loop, with feet shoulder-width apart. Now you can perform squats with the added resistance from the band. Be sure to practice using correct squat form.
2. Bent Over Row
Stand on the centre of the band and hold each end of the loop while bent forward at the waist. Be sure to keep your lower back slightly arched throughout the exercises – do not bend your spine forward. Now stretch the band by pulling it upwards, squeezing your shoulder blades together at the top of the movement.
3. Overhead Press
Standing inside one end of the loop, hold the other end with both hands in front of your shoulders. Keeping your body straight, push the band up above your head until your arms are straight. You should always perform the overhead press with the band moving in front of your face, not behind your head.
4. Deadlift
Step into either end of the loop and stand with feet wide apart, toes pointing out. Bending at the waist and knees, hold onto the band in the centre and pull it upwards to perform deadlifts. It’s important to maintain correct form – pay attention especially to keeping your back straight (or slightly arched) and bending only at the waist and knees.
5. Resisted Push Up
Sling the band around your back and hold each end of the loop in your hands while you perform push ups as normal. If you are not used to doing push ups, start without the band, or get yourself used to the exercise with some easy variations.
6. Standing Row
Fix the band around chest height and hold the end of the loop with arms straight in front of you. Pull the band in towards the center of your chest. To make the exercise more difficult, you can stand further away from the anchor point.
7. Squat Press
Stand inside the loop with feet shoulder-width apart and hold the other end in front of your shoulders. Now squat down and, as you rise, simultaneously push the band upwards in a shoulder press movement.
8. Stiff-Legged Deadlift
Stand on the middle of the band, holding onto each end of the loop. Bend forward at the waist, bending your knees only slightly. Now pull the band up, using mainly your lower back and hamstring muscles. Be sure to keep your lower back slightly arched, not bent forward, throughout the exercise
9. Single Arm Chest Press
Attach the band at chest height and stretch it by pushing it forward with one arm. Stand further from the anchor point to make the exercise more difficult. You can turn your hips slightly as you push the band but don’t twist your spine. Keep your upper body in a straight line.
10. Single Arm Row
Step into each end of the loop in a wide forward stance and hold the band in the middle. Lean forward slightly with a straight back and rest your other hand on your knee. Now pull the band up without raising your body – you should only be using your arm and upper back muscles to pull the band.
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